March 14, 2008

Promoting patient safety at the MGH

SAFETY FIRST: From left, Amy Beth Norrman, CQS staff assistant; Demehin; and Mary Jane Costa, CQS staff specialist

The MGH/MGPO Center for Quality and Safety (CQS) and the Patient Care Services (PCS) Office of Quality and Safety promote patient safety and quality health care across the hospital. Recently, staff from both offices celebrated National Patient Safety Awareness Week by hosting an information table in the Main Corridor March 3 and 5. Patients and visitors received information about improving the safety of their health care as well as literature on medication safety and the prevention of falls and infections. MGH employees were provided guides on the hospital's web-based safety event reporting system.

Since the safety event reporting system went live in 2006, more than 17,000 reports have been entered by MGH staff. Safety events, concerns and "close calls" entered into the system are immediately sent to the CQS safety team. Reports are then triaged, and the most serious events are thoroughly investigated by CQS and departmental quality staff and reported to external agencies if necessary. Less acute events are sent to appropriate department representatives for follow up. Reports entered by all MGH staff are invaluable for identifying problem areas and setting institutional patient safety and quality priorities.

For more information about the CQS, contact Akin Demehin, CQS administrative director, at ademehin@partners.org. For more information about the PCS Office of Quality and Safety, contact Keith Perleberg, RN, PCS Office of Quality and Safety
director, at kperleberg@partners.org.